Commitment
by papierherz
Summary: Snapshot of two moments in their life: Vampire Talbot dresses Russell & Human Talbot speaks his mind. More of like what the relationship is now: "One soul, two bodies" and what it was in the beginning: "A waking dream".


**_Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. (Aristotle)_**

Russell grunts angrily. He does it extra loud so it will catch Talbot's attention. Russell can't decide between a handful of similar colored ties. Things he doesn't like anyway, but Talbot makes him wear one tonight because it will be an official meeting and he has to make a serious impression. He wears black dress pants, a suit jacket and a white shirt - the ensemble fits his small shape perfectly.

Talbot watches his indecision with rolling his eyes. He goes into the walk-in closet, Russell leaves and waits outside. He doesn't say a word, doesn't need to. Half a minute later, Talbot shows him a selection of two ties he thinks are suitable. Three would strain his patience. Both have an eccentric twist, something Russell appreciates. He points to one. Talbot hangs the discarded one over his forearm and starts to fasten the singled-out tie around his husband's neck. He waits patiently. Or so it seems. He just lets it be.

When Talbot is done he looks at him with a peering eye, smoothes his shirt and the jacket, checks the belt. Does something subtle with his hair. He likes the new fragrant on him, which, of course, he has chosen for him. He looks pleased. Russell takes this as the signal that he is finished. Talbot steps aside so he can look at himself in the antique cheval mirror. His mouth is pursed skeptically at his own appearance, but he approves. Talbot knows this.

The royal consort leans suavely against the wall and raises his eyebrows as he watches Russell fumble with the collar of his shirt again. His contempt for ties shows. Talbot says in Greek: „You are ready!" Russell accepts. Has to accept. This is Talbot's terrain. Always has been from the beginning on. His love of looks and decorum comes to him naturally like the taste for excess seems to be an innate part of his husband. Only for love Talbot is willing to be a little more yielding. Love, he thinks. Now and then they have to remind each other.

„One thing." Talbot says, Greek again. Russell gives him a questioning look in the mirror. „Turn around." He does and Talbot moves closer to him. He puts his hands on his pale cheeks. The gaze in Russell's emerald green eyes, always flickering and measuring, encompasses something dark and incomprehensible, secret even to Talbot. Who finds it fascinating, and sexy and who knows he has power over it. The longer he looks into his eyes, they change, become softer. So he takes his time. Then he bows down to give him a long and tender kiss. Russell draws nearer into his arms. Talbot can tell, he likes it. Likes it a lot. He is so easily inflammable, after all these years even.

Talbot needs no proof of his husband's dedication. All the money and precious things he has thrown at him in the last 700 years have never felt wasted to Russell. He knows how to earn wealth and spend it, but with Talbot his generosity doesn't know any boundaries. Russell keeps a promise he made when Talbot was still human, to give him more than he could ever dream of. He wants him to be happy and most of the time he is.

Their lips part, Talbot places kisses on his cheek and ear. Gently strokes the back of his neck.

„Now you are ready." His husband has not yet switched the mood. „Maybe, I can spare a little time, Darling.", he murmurs in Greek, his hands on Talbot's hips, his voice betraying his arousal.

Talbot once again inhales the fragrance on his skin. Only a lover can enjoy it this much. And he has always been his lover. The one who shares with him. It doesn't end.

„Just come back in time and we'll see." Russell turns his head a little and looks up to him. He smiles. Talbot knows he makes him happy. He keeps his promise, too.

**_ Hope is a waking dream. (Aristotle)  
><em>**

When he heard his fangs protrude, the muscles in his neck tensed. His whole body did and he started to sweat. An instinctive physical reaction, he knew, aroused the vampire. But not this time. He hesitated. Maybe he smelled something else on him. „What is it?" - „Nothing." Talbot turned his face away from him, his lips pressed together angrily. „Come on, enjoy yourself."- „No."

Russell looked at him astounded. His human was different tonight. Talbot faced him again.

„What do you care? Just take me and suck me dry!" His hand gestured it. Russell backed off from him, retracted his fangs and looked at him with a crimped forehead. This was killing the mood.

Talbot sat up in his bed, wrapped his arms around his knees and stared solemnly at a spot in front of him. He was naked. The vampire couldn't barely repress his desire to touch him. It was all he could think of since he had first encountered him in the beginning of spring. Now it was the midst of summer. Obviously things were getting a little complicated and he dreaded it. Whenever he had experienced such tensions with his beloveds, he had abandoned them, because all the time in the world couldn't make up for the waste of energy those discussions meant. He contemplated it now in the back of his mind, but somehow didn't come far. Leaving this one behind would take a little more willpower than usual.

He looked at his back, admiring the topography of his muscles, his neck and shoulders, the shoulder-blades and spine - it was perfectly built. _Soon, but not yet._ Before Russell even realized it himself, he was stroking him. It seemed to soothe Talbot. He saw him close his eyes. The movement of his long black eyelashes caught his attention again. He had never cared terribly much about such details before.

„Shall I go?", he asked.

Talbot shuddered, not at ease with himself. „No..."

„Well, then. Let us continue!"

Talbot shrugged Russell's hand off. „God, you disgust me!"

Incensed, Russell looked at him. His eyes fixed on the back of his head. „Do you have anything sensible to say instead of insulting me?"

Talbot turned his head to meet his gaze. „Perhaps it doesn't make sense to you greedy bastard.", he spat out.

Russell let his fangs show and hissed at him. „I dare you, human. Don't test my patience!" A few moments of strained silence passed before Talbot recollected himself and apologized.

„I have some some things on my mind I need to tell you."

„Save your breath, boy. Honestly, I don't care.", Russell replied coldly.

It struck Talbot more than his sudden outburst of rage had a few seconds ago. He glanced at him intensely. „Why are you even here with me?"

„Because you are delicious." Russell answered grinning. The look of self-enjoyment was evident on his face. Talbot's puzzled expression amused him. „I am more than 2000 years old. Do you really think there is something else I care about?" Talbot broke eye-contact, focused again on the invisible spot in front of him. Russell could sense his torment and actually took pleasure in it, simply because he was human and nothing like him.

„Before this century ends, you will be clay again. And what you are now, all the splendor you dress in and your stunning beauty will have long descended into oblivion and never be seen again, nor remembered by anyone. You are just an eye-blink away from death, my dear boy."

Talbot swallowed his hurt which was immense. Russell bent forward a little, bringing his mouth nearer to his ears. His voice sounded hard, spiteful almost. „And that's the reason, I don't become infatuated with mortals. Never forget that."

Talbot nodded. „You fool yourself.", he whispered as he rose from the bed. He went to the other side of his chamber, to an ottoman where he had put down his clothes. While he demonstratively put them back on, he felt his gaze upon him. And heard his laughter. Did he really laugh at him? He didn't know and shouldn't care in the first place.

„If I'm so expendable to you, then find yourself another man to share your bed. Any other pretty ass should be convenient. But I tell you, no one will do you the favors I do. In the end you'd be crawling back into my arms like you've done throughout the past four months. Because it's me you want and nobody else."

He struggled to suppress the tremble in his voice which angered him.

Suddenly Russell stood by his side, already dressed. Talbot startled but tried not to let it show. The vampire let a small leather bag dangle in front of him.

„You know I'm not as heartless as you presume. I brought you a little present, my prince, to keep you well-disposed towards me. It will placate you, I'm sure. It reminded of the color of your eyes." Talbot was curious but also determined. He pushed his hand aside. „Keep it.", and resumed to dress himself. Russell curled his lips in disapproval as he watched him. Finally he threw the bag on the ottoman. The jingling sound of a necklace was heard.

„There, if you change your mind."

„I won't."

„Then give it to one of your servants.", he gnarled. „They won't be as ungrateful as you are."

An indignant gaze darted at him. Talbot walked away a few steps just to bring space between them before he turned to face him. He stood erect in an effortless air of dignity. „I want you to leave. Now." Russell stared at him. Youthful and gracious was he, a rare breed. A strange hunger was slowly creeping up inside of him. It was scratching under his skin with sharp claws and pulling invisible strings in his chest. His desires had not been satisfied tonight. He had to look elsewhere for it, if just to get rid of having been rejected by Talbot.

For the moment, Russell shrugged it off. „As you wish. When you have calmed down, we'll meet again."

„No, I don't think so."

„What do you mean?"

„Have you forgotten? I'm clay to you, rotting away. I'm no good. You despise me...shall I go on?" Russell laughed again. His beauty came with a lot of curious twists, as there were his ever changing moods and resentfulness.

„And I'm serious," the prince continued. „Go, fuck someone else, who is blinded by whatever rock you hang around his neck. There are enough sycophants in this town who will obey you. Eat them all up, but leave me alone."

„Ah, now Talbot, don't be so self-righteous. I always satisfy you, don't I? And you have quite the appetite. What else can you possibly want?"

„My appetite? Ha! You are the one who cannot wait to get me off my pants the moment you enter my chamber. But I ask myself, how come you want me so much and I never hear a word of affection, he? No endearments. Nothing but grunts and the disgusting sound of your...your things! And always in the same order."

The grin on Russell's face slowly died. Fangs, he wanted to correct him but bit his tongue. He was the first one who indirectly stated to be bored by him.

„Why do I never hear you say those things either, he?" For a second Talbot seemed to be thrown off his guard. „I tell you why. Because we have an arrangement that's advantageous for us both, and that's it. That's all! Who cares about the sweet-talk?"

With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Talbot shook his head, his nostrils blared. „You have absolutely no concept of love. It would take a century to get it in your head but by the time I'll be dead, as you know."

„Not only have I no concept of love, I'm simply not interested in it."

„Because you are lazy and shallow and self-delusional and, by god, you are the most lost of all lost causes. I wish you'd stop wasting my time."

Russell's fangs protruded once again. „Genug jetzt!" He shouted. Bristling with anger he pointed a finger at him. „Don't make me forget myself." Talbot withstood his furious gaze though he was frightened. His pride was really all he had to hold against him. The vampire paced around his chamber unpredictably, not quite certain what to do with himself.

„I have had enough with you! No one disrespects me and gets away with it unharmed. No one! I've killed thousands and they begged me for their lives. I could kill you in a heartbeat. I could make you beg for it, it would take me nothing. You're at my mercy, human. Do you understand?"

Talbot understood all to well. The vampire read it in his eyes. _I should glamor him_, he thought, _make him forget we've ever met. I should forget him_.

„You don't know how lucky you are.", he said between clenched teeth while he was walking to the window. Seeing him leave made Talbot's heart sink, against his will.

There were too many loopholes for him to disappear. The biggest one of them his self-conceit. Or Else he would've known that luck was indeed on his side and he was spurning it badly.

* * *

><p>His left arm crossed behind his head, Talbot leaned against the wooden frame of his canopy bed. In his right hand he held the golden necklace Russell had brought him as a present.<p>

He startled when he heard him land on the window sill. He had left it open every evening since their separation, deliberately blind to his hope that it would invite him to return. He was relieved now. Happy, to be accurate.

Day was dawning. He saw his shape against the lightening sky and tried to discern his eyes. His visitor rested there like a black bird. A raven. But he was not animal. Not human either, something else, feral and dark.

„You should've been asleep.", he said.

Talbot smiled dryly. Shook his head. „I can't. Bad dreams, bad sleep."

„I'm tired, too."

„Where have you been?"

„Don't ask. I'm still hungry."

A few moments of silence between them gave room to the sounds of the wakening day. It was July of 1310. Russell's heightened perception felt hundreds of heartbeats in Constantinople already at work. It was the largest city of the continent yet, full of diversions and sensual lures and a powerful demonstration of what the now disintegrating Byzantine Empire had once aspired to. The greatness of Rome had sunk into the dust, soon Constantinople would face the same fate. The vampire would have his share in it.

But since Russell had arrived at the Bosphorus, he had had trouble focussing his thoughts. It was due to a weakness he had known a few times in his life, but never this consuming.

„What is it that brings me back to you?"

„The same thing that lets me let you back in, maybe." Talbot knew of his smile, though he couldn't see it.

„Forgive me, Talbot."

„Mmh." He knew he already had. Talbot's eyes were again on the golden necklace in his hand. His thumb ran over the deep blue gemstone of the pendant. „It's so beautiful."

„Do you know its meaning?" Talbot shook his head. „Lapis lazuli brings you peace of mind. It reveals the truth and protects the one whose heart is full of love. Ancient cultures valued it higher than gold."

„You have my heart, you know. I can take it. All you do to me. I don't care how painful it is. Or to which dark places you take me. I want to be with you. Can't you just do the same?"

Maybe there was a slight movement in his direction, maybe he was fantasizing.

„It's impossible to live like that. Unless you become what I am, we can't be together."

„I don't want it. I could never..."

„I'm aware of that."

„Do we have to say our goodbye then? Is this what you came for?", the young man asked faintly.

„Talbot, you have no idea what it means for the both of us if we don't. Believe me.", was his despondent reply.

„It always means there's hope." Talbot said. „Doesn't it?"

The vampire didn't answer. Wrapped in thoughts that seemed to weigh heavy on his shoulders. He knew he had come at a crossroads.

„I must go now. Sun will be up soon."

Panicking Talbot rushed up from his bed. „Wait! Promise you come back!"

„Shhh. You know, I do."

A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as he sunk back into the sheets. „Thank God!", he murmured, eyes closed.

„I intend to crawl back into your arms, Talbot...", Russell reminded him.

Talbot opened his eyes and smiled. „Under one condition only. We'll make it slowly for once. You'll touch me like someone who loves me. Just pretend...that will be fine with me."

Russell chuckled. The morning light brightened his features and made him appear slightly more human.

„Take care tomorrow while I rest, my precious human.", Talbot heard him say. „Remember that I need you."

He winked at him and was gone.


End file.
